Advertising or display device.



E. S. LORIMER.

ADVERTISING OR DISPLAY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 1112.19, 191s.

1,1@L6471 v Patented 'June 30,1914.

L f An@ 0 f mmwmmw 7 COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH CO.,wAsI-HNGTON, D. c4

TED STAWENT FFTQE.

EGBERT S. LORIIVIER, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

ADVERTISING OR DISPLAY DEVICE.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, EGBERT S. LORIMER, acitizen of the Dominion of Canada, and a resident of Toronto, county ofYork, and Province of ntariO, Canada, have invented a new and usefulimprovement in Advertising or Display Devices, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to display or advertising devices and pertainsespecially to devices of that type which are moved mechanically toattract attention thereto.

The object of my invention is principally to impart, through mechanismwholly coni eealed, a peculiar and seemingly irregular motion to adisplay advertisement, to arouse the curiosity and thus more certainlyfix the attention of the beholder. T accomplish this and other desirablefeatures, which will be hereinafter noted, by employing an electricmotor of such design that it may be partially concealed in a supportingbase of such thickness as to suggest the absence of such mechanism. Thebase in turn supports a member carrying a display advertisement to whichthe motor imparts a peculiar motion. The member carrying the displayadvertisement is of such dimensions as to suggest the absence of allmechanism therein and coacting with the base to wholly conceal themotor.

In the figures which accompany and form a part of this specification andin which like reference numerals designate corresponding partsthroughout: Figure 1 is a view, partially in section, of one embodimentof my invention and illustrates the operative relations of the variousparts of the device. Fig. 2 is a plan view, partially in section, of themovable or advertisement carrying member, the section being taken on theline A-A in Fig, 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view, partially in section, of analternative form of movable member, and illustrates an alternative formof operating mechanism therefor, the section corresponding to that ofFig. 2. F ig. 4 illustrates the details of the armature, commutator andbrushes of the motor.

Referring especially to Fig. 1, the base or support for the movablemember 40 may be of any convenient design and may be supported in anysuitable manner; preferably the base is supported in a manner thatsuggests the absence of electrical conductors in order that the movementof the movable member may more thoroughly mystify the Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed February 19, 1913.

Patented J une 39, 1914.

Serial No. 749.420.

beholder. Thus, T employ a table 10 as shown in Fig. 1, the central.portion of which is countersunk from the under side to form the cavity11 as shown. This cavity is of sufiicient depth to receive an electricmotor which is preferably of the series alternating type that it mayopera-te on either direct or alternating current. The motor showncomprises the field coils 31 and 32, ring armature 12 which comprises aniron ring and coils laced to a brass disk by wire as shown, commutator13 and brushes 14C and 15, as shown in Figs. 1 and et. The shaft of themotor is composed of magnetic metal and is of sufficient length toextend entirely through an aperture in the shell of that portion of thetable top covering the central cavity 11. The motor is attached to theinner surfaces of the cavity 11 in any suitable manner so as to maintainthe shaft 8 centrally within this aperture. The remaining extremity ofthe shaft 8 is provided with a hardened pivot point that bears in apivot bearing provided near one extremity of a permanent bar magnet 18.This magnet serves as a step bearing for the motor shaft 8, and at thesame time magnetizes and maintains in a magnetic condition the shaft 8.The portion of the table `top inclosed by the framing 18 is cut away toa depth to admit a thin sheet of veneer 19 which entirely incloses themotor and cavity 11, and as its edges abut the inner surfaces of theframing 18 as indicated by the dotted lines 33 and 34, an observer isgiven the impression that no opening has been made in the table. Oneterminal of the motor is led from field coil 31 between the table topand Veneer 19, through a hole in one of the table legs to a pointedcaster 20. The other terminal 16 of the motor is led from brush 14,between the table top and veneer 19, through a hole in another leg ofthe table to a pointed caster 19. The remaining brush of the motor isconnected to field coil 32. Metallic plates 22 and 23 are placed on thefloor or other support of the table and' are covered by a rug or carpet21, and are connected through leads 24 and 25 with any convenient supplyof current. The

table is so placed that the pointed casters 19 and pierce the rug orcarpet 21 over the metallic plates 22 and Z3 and make contact therewithto complete the motor circuit. Thus the means of supplying current tothe motor is entirely concealed. A plate of glass 9 is provided with acentral aperture, and is placed on the top of the table so that thecenter of this aperture substantially coincides with the axis of theshaft 8. glass provides a smooth surface for the operation of themovable member and at thel shaft S is held by reason of its magnetism. y

An aluminum cover 4 is formed to engage theout-er outline of the metalsheet 5, and is rigidly attached thereto. Four swivel casters, G, 7, 26and 27 are pivoted to the inner surface of the aluminum cover 4, and areprovided with wheels upon which are placed rubber tires. The height ofthese casters is such that the metal sheet 5 is maintained as shown inFig. 1 in a plane which cuts the shaft S near its extremity. Thealuminum cover 4 is of such height as to clear the top of the shaft S,and overhangs the sheet of metal 5 at all points and almost makescontact with the plate of glass 9.

f Thus at no point in the motion of the movable member is the beholderable to observe the shaft 8. Further, the entire movable membercomprising themetal sheet 5, casters and aluminum cover, is designed ofsuch height as to seemingly preclude the idea of contained magnetism. Ashas hitherto been mentioned the shaft S is magnetized and thus adheresto the inner outline cut in the metal sheet 5 and as the shaft isrotated it moves the movable member 40 upon the surface of the glass 9ina seemingly irregular manner. A pair of clips 2 and 3 are atp tachedto the upper surface of the aluminum cover 4, and serve to support adisplay advertisement 1, which is carried by the movable member 40. Thusthe operating mechanism of the device as well as the means of supplyingcurrent to this mechanism is entirely concealed from the beholder.

Fig. 8 illustrates, partially in section, an alternative form of movablemember and the mechanism for imparting motion thereto, rThis alternativemember comprises an aluminum cover 4 provided with casters as hithertodescribed, within which is rigidly maintained a sheet of met-al providedwith an inner aperture in the outline of which is The cut a rack. Theshaft 8 of the motor is provided with a pinion 28 which engages thisrack and is further maintained in such engagement by means of the metalguide 30 which is suspended from the under side of the cover 4, and aportion of which is shown in Fig. 3. Obviously the shaft 8 in this caseneed not be magnetized, and the operation of the movable member issubstantially as described in connection with the form shown in Fig. 2.

Vhile l have illustrated and described one complete embodiment of myinvention and one alternative movable member to be used therewith, it isobvious that numerous changes may be made in the details of the deviceas set forth in the appended claims without narrowing the scope of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim is new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In an advertising device, a base, a glass cover thereon, a supportfor said base, a centrally located recess in the under portion of saidbase, a motor therein the shaft of which .extends through the uppersurface of said base and through said glass cover and extends beyond theupper surface of said glass cover, a cover for said recess, electricalconnections for said motor concealed in said base and likewise in saidsupport for said base, a movable member provided with casters and freeto move on-said glass cover, and means concealed in said movable memberfor utilizing the rotary motion of said shaft to provide an irregularmotion of said movable member.

2. In an advertising device, a base, a support for said base, a.centrally located Arecess in .the under portion of said base, a motortherein the shaft of which extends through the upper surface of saidbase and extends beyond the upper surface of said base, a cover for saidrecess, electrical connections for said motor concealed in said base andlikewise in said support for said base, a member free to move on thesurface of said base, and means concealed in said member for utilizingthe rotary motion of said shaft to provide an irregular `motion of saidmemloer.

Signed by me at Toronto, county o-f York and Province of Ontario,Canada, in the presence of two witnesses.

@GEERT S. LORIMER.

Vitnessesz S. B. CAMPBELL, M. Rows.

opnlot lthis patent my be. obtained for :livelcents eaciliahynddreggingthe .Ccmminipner of Paten, Wahlnztvall, G.

